Microsoft Surface

Pricing is going to be around the same as other tablets for the RT and ultrabooks for the pro version. I think the keyboard is a great idea and would be cool if I ever wanted a tablet for some odd reason.

Think there's supposed to be a cover that has a legit keyboard in it, as opposed to the touch one. Not sure how huge that'll end up, but I could see this being pretty neat. I feel like the tablet/netvertible market is about the only viable target for W8, so as long as they don't **** it up too badly, it has potential.

If only I needed a tablet, or a replacement for my netbook, or a laptop in the first place...

Been waiting for this for ages. The form factor and the ability to consume information (iPad) mixed with the best of any desktop OS to produce content with true multitasking (Pro Version). Offer competitive battery life with a decent level entry price point and I think Microsoft changed the game.

Imagine M$ pairing the entry level Surface RT with a desktop Windows 8 PC. They'd offer the full windows experience while allowing consumers to take their work on the go while building a sufficient ecosystem; attracting developers for apps. The pro version could stand alone seeing as it runs the full fledged OS, and with it being released three months later than the RT version, it allows the marketplace to adapt to each platform instead of confusing consumers and fragmenting it's user base.

And the most important part of this is that M$ just set the standard for all it's vendors that license Windows 8. (Dell, ASUS, HP, etc.) Who knows, someone might come up with some better and even cheaper tablets.

I think it's a great big step in the right direction for Windows 8 and competitiveness in the tablet market in general.

The Zune was a well built, beautiful device. It lacked the proper marketing and followed the well established iPod brand to a T for it to have any major impact in the marketplace.

This is different and caters to multiple users: power and casual. Microsoft needs to market this right, which is their biggest flaw. And even if it doesn't catch on? Dell, ASUS, and every other PC maker will fill in the gap with something that does.

But you could be right and I could be completely wrong. We'll see in six months.

They also need to have ARM-compatible software ready at launch. People are going to buy them expecting them to run regular software because they have Windows installed, and if the general opinion turns to "these are bull****, they don't work" before the software shows up, they probably won't do well.

They also need to have ARM-compatible software ready at launch. People are going to buy them expecting them to run regular software because they have Windows installed, and if the general opinion turns to "these are bull****, they don't work" before the software shows up, they probably won't do well.

I think that's the reasoning behind the 3 month gap between the release of pro and RT. Gives them time to market and educate before people flock to RT thinking they can run .exe's